Don't Save It All
by Nanaki BH
Summary: [Reno Rufus] Reno's only wish for Christmas is to be with Rufus but can he tear him away from work?


Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any related material. All things affiliated are property of Squenix. The song belongs to… who knows. It was sung by Avalon, Celine Dion and most recently by Clay Aiken so pick who ever you want.

Don't Save It All (For Christmas Day)

By: Nanaki BH

Whistling a happy familiar Christmas tune, Elena bounced down the front steps of the Shinra building. She frowned when she noticed her partner hanging his head. He sat on one of the low steps, his chin resting in his palms. He didn't appear cold at all despite the low temperature. "Rude was right, Reno, you don't look like you're getting into the Christmas spirit. It's only a day away, you know." Reno didn't notice when she paused between her words when she felt a shiver. It was her own fault; she had on only a cropped top and a ridiculously short skirt. Of course, it was revealing and left little to the imagination. Her cheeks were rosy, matching perfectly with the crimson color of her attire. A bit of faux fur fringed her skirt and the Santa hat she wore. When he finally turned to face her, he didn't try to hide the grimace that spread across his lips.

"Sexy, Elena, very sexy," he said sarcastically with a drawl and a suggestive raise of his eyebrows. "Do tell, which Santa are _you_ making merry this year?" He lifted his chin from his hands so he didn't have to fear getting any "better" of a view up her skirt. She smiled broadly, her cheeks blushing cutely in the cold weather. "I bet you can guess who," she chided. She giggled playfully and sat herself down next to him.

Reno stuck out his tongue in disgust. "Yeah I can guess," he said as he looked out into the open street again, "not that I want to." He leaned forward to rub at his eyes wearily.

"Tseng's going to take me to dinner and we're going to exchange presents. It'll be like back when I went to school where the kids would give each other gifts. Won't it be cute? It's going to be the best Christmas ever!" she gushed. Reno offered her a quiet groan. "Don't give me all that 'bah humbug', Reno! I came here to spread the holiday cheer! Here," she said, "I brought this for you." It was easy to infer from the redhead's actions that he was dead beat and not very thrilled. He stared at the steaming cup that had been shoved in front of his nose.

He took the offered cup and gave it a cautious sip, finding it to be the perfect temperature. It brought a smile to his lips, but just briefly. "You better close your legs before somebody sees up your skirt," he warned.

She stood quickly, planting her hands firmly on his scantily clad hips. "No one's out here besides us, Reno. You know where everyone else is?" Elena couldn't stop herself, but she immediately noticed how cruel her words sounded. She covered her mouth, seemingly trying to force the words back to where they came. "I'm sorry… He's working isn't he?" Elena was sorry for him. Rufus had been with Reno for nearly a year. If Rufus were to choose work over Reno for the holidays, who knows what kind of calamity could occur in their relationship.

Reno's eyes turned cold. She shifted on her feet awkwardly, not sure of his response. He'd previously been so placid. Elena didn't want to face him when he was angry. This wasn't right. Reno should be spending the holiday with the one he loved. This wasn't right. That's all that she knew. When he spoke, it forced her to jump slightly. "It's not my damn fault if he wants to spend our first Christmas with his work," he growled. "So, Elena, how about you back off and just leave me alone? I always am anyway." He was beginning to lose his composure. His nostrils flared and as he clutched the edge of the step he sat on, his knuckles turned white.

The younger Turk was no doubt going to regret her actions right here, but she felt it was the best plan possible. "If he makes you so mad, Reno, why don't you just march up there to his office and force him to leave?" With that said, she gave one short stomp and left, throwing over her shoulder as she went, "and merry Christmas, dammit!" Every now and then Reno required a little encouragement; more than the average person, at least. If it involved getting him angry to do it, maybe it was for the best. It was pretty easy to begin with. Just get him on the topic of the president.

Even though she'd already reached the front doors, she could practically hear his teeth grinding in seething anger. She tilted her head, but only so little so she could see him as she made her way inside. He stood, knocking over the cup next to him. His fists were shaking at his sides. "Fine!" he shouted after her. "I will!" She wore a secret smile when reached the elevator. Mission "Save Christmas" accomplished on her half. Now it was all up to Reno. She heard him running frantically behind her, but before he had any chance of catching up, she entered the elevator and waved him goodbye with a smile. He saw this and frowned. Unfortunately, he wasn't paying attention anymore to where he was going and smacked head on into something rather large, solid, and bald. "What the hell?" he mumbled in a daze.

Rude stared at him blankly. Though he wore sunglasses, Reno could always tell what was going on behind them. Mind you, he was wearing sunglasses in the middle of winter… in a city that hardly gets any light to begin with. "And… what are you doing?" He asked. When his red haired partner opened his mouth to respond, he put up a hand to stop him. "Forget it," he said, "I don't want to know; something pathetic, right? Saving Christmas, are you?" Rude gave that same, unforgettable grin that Reno saw only on rare occasions. Reno effortlessly gave him his own sloppy grin. If looking at a person's appearance could give you an idea of what they're like, anyone's bet on Reno would be right on the money. For that reason, Rude had known they'd be good friends at the very moment they met. Like any other important day, Rude would take his buddy out to drink. That's exactly what he'd expected but it seemed now that those plans had been dashed. "So… Christmas Eve… you're not going drinking with me, are you?" Rude never showed any emotion in his voice. Maybe when he was drunk, but especially not when he wanted to appear impartial to the situation.

Reno shook his head and jammed his fists into his pockets. His smile didn't fade, but Rude could tell when he was pushing it. "I'm gonna go try to get him down; maybe get him to go somewhere with me."

Rude chuckled, lifting his glasses to his forehead. His eyes shown with mirth as he asked bluntly, "how?" His eyebrows were raised inquisitively.

"Are the Christmas lights up in the halls yet?" Reno asked.

Rude scratched his chin, contemplating his odd partner's reasons. "No… We didn't put them up last year either. What would be the point? No one would stay unless they've got no where else to go. Shinra's a huge place, but you'd be surprised at how many people leave for Christmas." He imagined Reno all alone in the newly decorated halls singing carols. Besides that, he could not find any other use for the lights. Maybe he was trying to find his inner Mr. Scrooge.

The fiery Turk lit up at his partner's answer though. "Don't bother yourself with it. I have a… plan, I guess you could say." He hopped from one foot to the other, nervously considering what to say without it sounding too romantic. "I have this idea… It involves romantic things. I'm pretty sure you don't want to hear about it."

Rude gave his buddy a hardy pat on the back. "You'd be real surprised." He stepped aside to allow Reno entrance to the building. "Don't tell me now though. I've got to pack up some things for my flight." He placed his glasses over his eyes again and gave Reno a curt nod and started out.

"Hey!" Reno called back. "Where are you going?"

He shrugged. "I didn't tell you about that? Geez, I must have been pretty smashed…" He looked away, absently wondering when he might have told him. "I guess I didn't," he laughed. He waved his hands, gesturing to forgive him. "Sorry 'bout that then. I have a flight to Icicle Inn in a few hours. I've heard they've got a great drinking atmosphere during the holidays. I thought I invited you along. It's private so there'll just be me and some other execs on the plane."

Reno was incredulous. "How smashed were you not to tell me this?" He shouted. "That's not fair at all!" His hands were in his hair, gripped tight. His actions had only succeeded in making Rude laugh even more.

Rude started off to the alley. "Come with me then."

"I can't," Reno sighed. "I want to get Rufus away from work. How about we meet you there? I mean, Icicle Inn should be a romantic spot for Christmas, right? At least they've got snow. Midgar sucks so bad we don't even have rain, let alone snow!"

Rude left then, his laughter floating down the alley. Reno shook his head, watching in amusement as his shadow finally retreated into the alley. He leaned against the door, keeping it propped open with his scuffed shoe. "I wonder where those decorations are." He scoffed. "He probably wouldn't have known anyway. Even if he did, he'd have forgotten by now."

They had to have a lot of decorations. He could remember back when they _did_ put them up and there were a lot. Where they'd come from, he had no idea… maybe the storage room had something. Either that or the janitors kept it away somewhere only they knew of. He decided the storage room was the greatest clue. There was no other place to keep all that. He ran his cardkey through the scanner and let himself up.

Floor 61 was not only home of Shinra's main executive cafeteria and recreation room; it was also home to the storage room. The floor was quiet, desolate. Without anyone else there, Reno's foot steps sounded like drops in a bucket. He stood completely still for a moment, as he heard steps he didn't recognize as his own. They stopped, continued, stopped again, and then continued until they sounded to be directly behind him. He fingered the gun in his back pocket. Then, swiftly grabbing his gun, he turned and pointed it at the intruder. His jaw almost hit the floor when he saw who it truly was. "Reeve? Damn, today's been one shock after another. What are you doing here… with a bucket?" He packed the gun back into his pocket, hoping Reeve wasn't too offended by it.

Reeve grinned like the Cheshire cat he had created. His eyebrows lifted and Reno noted how handsome he looked with that certain expression. His hair was messed and his clothes were uncharacteristically in disarray. He held a large green bucket with soapy water that threatened to spill over the top every time Reeve moved. "I got stuck cleaning up the cafeteria. They left it a mess in here. I can't believe we still haven't hired a new janitor for this floor. Wouldn't you think they'd have one of the others do it at least?" He coughed loudly then, the bucket slipping from his fingers. Reno had expected the least. The bucket spun hazardously and finally toppled over, spilling the water all over the floor. "Damn," Reeve panted between coughs. He looked pitiful. His cheeks were rosy, but in an ill sort of way, not like how the cold can turn your cheeks pink.

Reno, who had jumped out of the way to avoid the water, now came to place a hand on Reeve's shoulder. His shoulders were still shaking with the violent barrage of coughs. Finally, with one particularly strangled cough, they ceased. He swayed and Reno held him steady, firmly placing his palms on both of his shoulders. "I bet you have somewhere better to be." Reeve's bottom lip quivered. He bit it, trying to keep it still. "What's up?" Reno asked quietly, allowing his hands to rest at his sides again.

Reeve was silent, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. He looked nervous to even be in his own skin. Reno was a smart guy, despite popular opinion. He knew how to read people. He stayed, watching the Head of Urban Development's face finally contort to show an emotion he'd never seen before. It was odd; halfway between anger and utter sorrow. His lip wouldn't stop shaking and eventually he gave up on keeping his composure. As a short gasp escaped his lips, Reno watched as the usually calm executive let go. He kicked the bucket, which lay at his feet, with a sickening crack across the room. To Reno's amusement, it got a good amount of air. The bucket didn't make it all the way across the room though. Gravity eventually decided to pull it back down and it hit a far away table, rolled off, and then rolled along the floor until it sat abused. Forgetting the bucket for a moment, he turned his attention back to Reeve, almost regretting it for what he saw. Reeve was fighting with himself, trying to will himself not to cry. This was indeed very strange. He was always the meekest of the executives… Okay, maybe he did seem prone to a break down. Reno figured it to have been inevitable, but there's always a cause for a reaction. Reeve spoke then with a cracking voice. "I've been invited back home for Christmas."

"Yeah," Reno said, "What's so bad about that? Man, at least you've still got a family, so what are you upset about?" Damn, not the best thing to say to a person on the edge. Still, it was difficult for him to understand. He would have given anything if he could have a family to return to for the holiday season. Rufus was the only person he could _sort of_ consider family. Not direct, of course. Hell, they weren't even married. Still, as far back as he could remember, the only person he spent Christmas with was Rude and that was just because Rude was a loser and he had no where else to go either.

Reeve turned his back on him, but Reno watched as he wrapped his arms around himself. His shoulders were shaking again. It reminded him of the times he'd seen him in the elder president's quarters. He'd always been jumpy, ready to lose it. Not in the kind of way all the other executives did though. He was the complete opposite. It was like this just wasn't the job for him. He needed something a little less high maintenance like… chocobo rancher or something. Work stressed him out. He was jealous for that in a way. The president, and now his son, would give him frequent vacations and breaks to make sure he stayed sane. Any other employee would handle their stress with a gun. Well, for Sephiroth, it was a sword. Or maybe, Reno thought, that was for revenge.

"It's not like that, Reno. Have you heard about how I… Well," he trailed. His eyes scaled the ceiling, focusing on anything but Reno.

"Which one; that thing about you having some kind of a disorder or that thing about you being gay?" Reno asked innocently.

Reeve spun on his heel and stared at Reno with a blush on his cheeks. He could definitely differentiate between that and the red cheeks from his cold. "Wait, who said I have a disorder?" Wow, those are some great priorities.

Reno chuckled, his sharp canines showing under his lips. "What you're saying is that you're gay then? Oh man, that guy I saw you with really _was_ your boyfriend!" Reeve practically shrank beneath Reno's watch. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, man. I don't think anyone even cares nowadays." He folded his arms comfortably over his chest. His smile and his eyes were soft then.

Reeve rubbed the back of his neck; blush still stubbornly in place on his cheeks. "Yeah," he mumbled, "you're a good guy, Reno. But you see, I got invited back home to Gongaga for Christmas to see my parents." He sighed. "They're loving people, but I don't know if they'd approve of my… lifestyle. See, I've never told them… and my boyfriend wants to come with me. I've been stressing out over it all week. I bet you're going to be with Rufus for the season and I want it to be like that for us too, but I don't know if they'll be fine with it or if it will turn into some hellish war." His eyebrows furrowed together. He shuffled his feet on the floor and finally opted to sit down at one of the short cafeteria tables.

Reno blinked at him. He licked his bottom lip and then smacked his lips, giving him a rather uninterested glance. "Just tell them. Walk in, when they ask who the guy is, just tell them. Hell, give them a shock. If they're so loving, be honest, they won't get mad. They might cry. My mom cried when I told her. Hell, I cried too!" He laughed. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, reality returning. "Why are you still here? Shouldn't you have left? Dammit, Reeve, I have things to do too, you know."

His fellow employee stood, brushing some nonexistent dirt from his pleated black dress pants. "Sorry about that, Reno. I just needed to talk to someone, I guess. Thanks a lot," he said. He walked to the red head, and unexpectedly, gave him a hug. Releasing him he said, "I hope you have a merry Christmas. I don't even know if I'm going to make it to the airport on time." He glanced at his watch. "Well, I've got a little more than an hour to get over there. It's going on five." He grinned. "Really, Reno. Thank you. I'll keep what you said in mind."

The red head swiveled to look around the room for the bucket. "Dammit…" he muttered. He managed to catch Reeve as he headed for the elevator. "Hey, aren't you forgetting something?" he asked. The older business man gave him an inquisitive glance.

"Oh damn! President Rufus will surely fire me if I don't get this done!" It was good to see him back to his usual kiss ass self.

Reno gave him a rather nonchalant wave. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of this for you. Give me the keys and I'll be a happy camper." He grinned. "Give your boyfriend some sugar for me," Reno said with a wink.

The other man blushed and grinned broadly. "Thanks, Reno. You're a real life saver." He dug around in his pocket and returned it with a set of jingling keys. "I'm going to go back to my desk for a second. I have to round up some of my stuff." He tossed Reno the ring of keys and he caught them above his head. "By the way," he said just before he ran his keycard through the scanner, "What are you doing for Christmas? I'm sorry I forgot to ask. I'd expect you and Mr. President to go out somewhere nice; a resort or something. I can't believe you're still here."

He groaned, running a hand over his face. "He's working. I'm going to attempt to be romantic so I can get him to leave." Who could tell if that would work? Rufus himself was a rather romantic person. That's what had confused Reno. Rufus would jump at the chance to settle down with his lover, prepare a nice dinner and whip out his vintage wine. On any other day he could make time for Reno. Hell, he'd even have sex with him right on his desk, but no. Not today; not the most important day of the year.

Reeve frowned. "Working? That's too bad." The elevator buzzed and he held out a foot make sure the door wouldn't close too soon. "I'll bring you back a present. Don't be surprised if it's one of my mom's homemade sweaters though." His smile was true, bright, and beautiful. That smile alone was a good enough present from the Head exec for Reno. "You're a good friend." He waved farewell and watched the elevator doors close slowly. Opposed to the sulk Reeve had adopted earlier, he now stepped with the vigor of a man in love. His smile showed improvement itself. Like a speeding train pulling its brakes, Reno's mind stopped to contemplate that. Not long ago, Reno had give Reeve advice on how to be with his lover. Here he was without his own.

He sighed deeply. "I'm such a damn hypocrite." He pocketed the keys and looked out the nearby window. This was too depressing, he thought. There was no snow in Midgar. The barren land surrounding the mammoth city never saw neither snow nor rain. It was times like these, when he actually thought about it, that he wished to be commissioned. It wouldn't be for the money, but rather, for a creative way to escape to a more interesting place. He wanted to feel that harsh sting of the cold on his cheeks. He wanted to feel snow on his tongue, melting in his mouth. He wanted to get drunk off his ass and make snow angels. Better yet, he wanted to do all that with Rufus.

Before he got a chance to even notice it, a single tear slipped down his cheek. He gasped and it echoed around the large atrium. It reflected off the walls and returned as a ghostly whisper to his ears. "This will surely ruin you, Reno," he told himself. "I have to figure out what I have to do with my own damn life." He lifted his head and took notice of the bucket that still lay across the room. There was a wet sponge peeking its way out of its rim. He supposed Reeve was going to wash the tables.

Really, they weren't going to get much better than they already were. Maybe they had some dust on them. That was fine by him. He grabbed the bucket and brought it back to the storage room. Within a matter of minutes, he had brought out a mop, cleaned up Reeve's spilled water, and then had it already returned to the closet. He stood for a while to admire his handiwork. He had gone a little farther than he'd expected. The floor had a shine he had never seen before. He had to wonder what their janitors had done wrong. Had they even done anything at all to begin with? None of the Shinra executives were necessarily sloppy… except for him.

He rubbed the back of his neck and stared blankly around the room, trying to remember why he was there in the first place. He thought back and back and back until he finally came across a memory. Rude, talking… talking about what? What he was doing for Christmas. Christmas lights! That was it! He clicked his fingers, suddenly very proud of himself for even remembering. He ran back to the storage room, feeling only mildly guilty for leaving the door ajar. He searched everywhere; the floor, closets, chests, drawers, and shelves alike. Eventually, it got frustrating. A few things can happen when Reno is frustrated. For starters, he can get extremely angry and just start throwing things. This was the perfect place for that sort of behavior. There was stuff everywhere. Next, he might just give up on what he was doing. He'll sit around and wait for someone else to do it. Right now, that didn't seem to work, seeing as how no one else was there to do it for him to begin with. Then, he gets motivated. Elena was lucky for thinking he'd react to his frustration that way earlier.

Although he was completely bummed out, and just about ready to call it quits and just smack Rufus around a little for being such an ass, Reno decided to try looking some more. He found an old card written to one of the janitors that he found amusement in. Maybe it wasn't that old. It was a Christmas card, and for all he knew, it could have been from the current year. Its edges were curling, but maybe it was just a cheap card. He shrugged. It was a sappy letter talking about "the love and joy the Christmas season carries with it on its way through the snow." He couldn't resist a small snort at that. But, when he got to the dirty talk about what that janitor's girlfriend had in store for him at home, he burst out laughing. He read out loud to himself, "I'd take you into the large coat closet at my rich grandmother's house and have sex with you on all the expensive fur coats she has. I'm sure we can have some fun with the new 'toys' I've got for you!" He fell on his back and put his hands on his sides, attempting to reduce the pain that accompanied hard laughter. "Honestly, don't tell me this was for that old janitor guy who works here! I think I know that guy!" he wheezed through his hiccupped giggles. "He's never here. Maybe he didn't even open the card… but who the hell would have sex with that guy? Just looking at him's enough to give me a softie!" The laughter became fiercer if possible and tears rolled down his cheeks. He sighed. "Next time I'm in a conference with Ruf, I'll just think about that guy having sex with his girlfriend." He shuddered at the thought. "That could whip anyone into shape." After sighing and taking a moment to control himself he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

"Don't tell me that's what I think it is," he muttered. He squinted through tear blurred eyes. "Oh fuck, it is." He stood awkwardly on his legs, still from laughing. He rubbed his eyes and they began to focus. "Dammit, it is!" He smacked the side of his head and hoped to God he wasn't just going crazy. He stood up on the very tips of his toes to reach the highest layer of the shelf and hoped again to God, this time that he wouldn't fall and end up in a cast for Christmas. He swatted at the box at the top until he finally grabbed a hold of a loose piece of cardboard sticking out of its side. It teetered unsteadily on the edge of the shelf until he let go of a lower shelf with his other hand. He swung that hand up to help guide it down safely. Relieved, he looked at the box of Christmas lights appreciatively.

He smiled warmly at it, as if he were holding a child instead of a box of ten year old Christmas decorations. It wasn't that big of a box, but it was stuffed beyond belief with numerous kinds of decorations, not just lights. That's why the box was breaking on the sides. A couple round bulbs threatened to escape the box as he carried it back into the cafeteria, dragging a ladder behind himself along the way. He paused in front of the tree. "And just when I thought I was done with heights," he laughed. He set the box down and, for the next hour and a half, proceeded to decorate the tree as best as he could without falling off the ladder.

When he considered himself finished with the job, he looked it over and moved the lights in some places and added some other decorations here and there; things like garland, tinsel, and festive ornaments. "Great job, Reno old boy," he congratulated himself. He could only imagine the look on Rufus's face when he came down to see what he'd done for him. Then he could tell him about his arrangements to go to Icicle Inn with him to spend Christmas. Well, maybe they weren't exactly arrangements. It was a plan, he guessed. He looked around and wondered what was missing. The tree was gorgeous, but… The over head lights had to be turned off. He tapped his chin and remembered seeing the switches for the upper floor lights on the wall nearest to the door.

He folded his arms over his chest and congratulated himself, yet again, for being such a genius. Reno smirked when he remembered another addition that could make the scenery even better. He happily ran back to the storage room and rummaged around a few boxes until he came to the one he wanted. "Candles," he sighed, thankfully. "I knew they were here!" The lights were soon flicked off on the cafeteria floor and the nine levels above it. Reno knew that the light switches only controlled the hall lights and the main lights. Rufus would still have the lights in his office. He didn't expect him to notice that his hall lights were gone too soon. He put the box under his arm and returned to the tree. Sitting down before the tree, he opened the box. It was filled to the brim just like the other box had been. It held various Christmas colors of candles. He didn't want to be specific with a pattern in which he arranged them because he could only imagine getting to the end to find that he had and odd number of a particular color. So, he decided to place them about in the order he randomly grabbed them out of the box. There were green, red, gold, and white candles. They weren't too big, which made it easier to fit so many into one box. There could have been hundreds. He didn't want to put down that many though; maybe fifty or so. He laid down some around the tree, taking his lighter out of his shirt pocket to set them aflame.

Soon, he had begun wandering down the aisle, laying candles and lighting them as he went. He grabbed some candles from the box and returned the large box to the storage room and then locked it finally, fitting the keys in his back pocket with his gun. With the candles in hand, he flashed his keycard again and rode up to the 70th floor. He laid down the candles and lit them on the way to the president's door.

Now what, he asked himself? What did he do now? He didn't want to just knock on the door. The moment would be ruined immediately when he could imagine Rufus shouting hoarsely "come in" in that voice he has after he's been working long hours. Actually, that voice was sort of sexy, especially when Rufus was bent over his desk, shouting Reno's name. He shook his head, trying to clear his head of those thoughts so he could concentrate. "Think about the janitor," he whispered to himself. He groaned lightly. "That's so gross."

An idea came to him then; a beautiful, creative, mildly cheesy idea. Reno remembered back to a time when he went out drinking with the president. They had been so drunk they actually gave into the urge to play the local karaoke. Surprisingly, Reno won their contest. He didn't even know there was a contest at the time. Rufus told him later that he wanted to hear him sing again. He'd politely refused, but it left him wondering what he sounded like. The only time he tried to sing alone was in the shower. Even if he was alone, he still felt greatly embarrassed.

Well, it was all or nothing and singing Christmas carols was a natural part of the season to begin with. He had no particular gift for Rufus. There was something he had been thinking of, but it just didn't sound like the greatest gift for his beautiful president. So, he sat and he started to sing.

"Don't get so busy that you miss giving just a little kiss to the ones you love," he sang slowly. It was a gorgeous song he remembered hearing somewhere. He had a thing for Christmas songs. He could remember their words almost from the very moment he first heard them. With Christmas songs, he didn't care if he sounded good or not. It was the principle of the thing. This particular song somehow had words that just… fit too perfectly with their situation. "And don't even wait a little while to give them a little smile. A little is enough." He sat, soulfully singing the verses, eventually coming to sit at the base of his lover's door. Resting his head back against the door, he sang, "Don't save it all for Christmas day. Find a way. 'Cause holidays have come and gone, but love lives on, if you give on, love." His voice masterfully covered the notes, rising only slightly at the end.

Before he knew it, the door behind him disappeared. He fell back and his singing was abruptly stopped. When he fell, his head was pillowed by a pair of soft leather shoes. He rubbed his eyes, half in surprise and partly from exhaustion. With eyelashes ghosting over pale, scarred cheeks, Reno opened his eyes and saw above him the most pitiful sight. He almost felt guilty for bothering him; almost. Rufus had his hair down; a rare sight. It fell in unkempt strands about his delicate face. His eyes looked bloodshot and his lips looked dried and cracked. Rufus bent over him and regarded him silently.

"Have you been shooting something?" Reno asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Rufus frowned. "I'm not on drugs, Reno. This is what it looks like when I'm running on no sleep." He sniffled and the Turk thought he had become ill from wearing himself out. There was nothing cuter than a sick Rufus. He had an innocents and frailness in him then that made the soft spot in Reno come out.

"Why are you still up here?" He asked. He'd been meaning to find that out all night.

Rufus's eyes were half closed, clearly expressing their surrender to weakness and pressure. "I've been trying to schedule certain meetings for next week, I've been going over paperwork that just magically appeared on my desk, and I've just generally been going out of my mind." All was said in one breath, which at the end, turned into a desperate gasp for air.

Still lying on his back, Reno asked, "Can I stand up now?" His lover was too tired to be amused, even though he'd said it with a light, joking connotation.

Rufus closed his eyes and slid the rest of the way down the door frame. "Yeah, but I'm tempted to stay down here to sleep." His jaws opened to give a loud yawn then and he wrapped his arms around himself.

The Turk stood with some effort and looked at him questioningly. "I mean," he stuttered, "I don't want to sound like a total bastard, but why is work more important than me on Christmas Eve?" He waited for a response, and after not receiving one for about a minute, Reno wondered if Rufus really had fallen asleep.

Opening a weary eye, Rufus gazed at his lover. Actually, his eyes only met his legs. It would have taken too much out of him to even lift his head. "I thought I could get it finished. It didn't look like that much when I got it. A couple meeting calls turned into long waits on the phone. I only scheduled one meeting so far! Just one, Reno! How do I get this done?" The words were urgent, but his voice showed no distress.

"Do it after Christmas then. Tell those guys to screw off. You own the world, buddy, I don't see a problem." Reno allowed the silence to settle in. His eyes darted around the hall. "So can you leave now?"

He sat up on his elbows and ran his hands through his messed hair. He took a deep, shaky breath, and then looked down the hallway. He furrowed his eyebrows in concentration, and by putting his hands on his knees, he hoisted himself into a standing position. Once he was standing he sighed again with closed eyes. He tried to gather himself and relax as best as possible. When he opened his eyes they immediately grew wide. Before him was the row of candles surrounded in complete darkness. Somehow he had avoided noticing them before. His eyes were wide, reflecting the candlelight and his lips were apart in silent awe. "You did this?" He wasn't meaning to say that it was beautiful. That word just didn't seem to justify it. It was actually something much more, but different from the common beauty; not to say that it was bad though. Reno had an astounding sense of creativity, no matter what it was. What lay before him was not _just _beautiful; it was _hauntingly_ beautiful.

It was something surreal. The candles cast a reddish orange glow on the floor and as they flickered and swayed, as did their shadows. It was like watching them dance. If they didn't cast so much light on their bases and on the floor, their flames would have appeared to just be floating. They were hypnotizing. The young president quietly watched as the flames darted this way and that. "Hey, pyro," Reno said, putting a hand on Rufus' opposite hip. "There's more, you know?" Rufus looked at him in surprise. Reno had to remind himself to buy himself something nice later as congratulation on his score with Rufus.

He hadn't expected his lover to appreciate something so simple. Maybe it wasn't such a failure after all. Even if Rufus had that "I've been working long hours" voice, it somehow seemed worth while. He took his hand and began to lead him to the end of the hall, where he took him in the elevator and down to the 61st floor. Before the door opened, and even before the elevator buzzed to alert them they had arrived, Reno covered his eyes with his hands and told him "no peeking". Rufus smiled secretly when he heard the familiar buzz because he knew his surprise would soon follow.

Although he was tired, the sheer exhilaration that accompanied the situation managed to still thrill him. It wasn't too often that Reno did something sweet like this; he didn't think he deserved it though. He was sure Reno could have just walked up to his office and hauled his ass away, but instead… instead…

Reno's hands suddenly disappeared. His view was directed to the ground and he could see that they were just out side of the 61st floor elevator. He blushed. Whatever he saw when he looked up he knew had to be gorgeous. Biting his bottom lip, he finally gathered enough courage to look up. Indeed, it took his breath away. Like the candles, it wasn't the usual beauty. It had that beauty only Christmas could capture. It was like opening your very first gift on Christmas day, or the first time that the snow touches your tongue. It grasped his heart and tugged.

Rufus put a hand over his mouth to shield a gasp. "Do you like it?" Reno asked. The president nodded wordlessly. His feet guided him rather unevenly to the tree. This was still an effect from his sleep befuddled mind, but his feet got him to the destination either way. Finally, he smiled. The roguish Turk grinned. He pushed a couple strands of flaming red hair out from his visage and tucked them into the ponytail at the back of his neck.

"I love it," Rufus whispered. "I love it as much as I loved the candles and your singing." He went to Reno and embraced him, resting his head on his lover's shoulder. He closed his eyes and deeply breathed the scent he recognized unique to Reno. "Thanks," he said, "I'm glad you managed to tear me away. Christmas would have been miserable without you. So… thank you for just _being_ with me."

And Reno could die happy. After spending his life feeling guilty for even existing, this one man had proved him worthwhile. He knew he loved Rufus, and he knew he loved him too, but not until now did he realize how much. The embrace was returned and he buried his face in Rufus's neck. "Very welcome, love, but you're the one I should thank. I can't believe I even got mad at you to begin with." His hold on him tightened and his smile widened even more when he remembered the 'plan of action' for Christmas day. "By the way, I was thinking we could go to Icicle Inn tomorrow. Rude made it sound like a great idea. You're sure you can leave now, right?"

Rufus loosened Reno's hold on him. "Yeah, and I'm one step ahead of you. I've got our own flight scheduled. See, I managed to get that one in too. I did it about a week ago, actually. I'm looking forward to sleeping on the plane," he said, with a smile. "What's this about Rude?" he asked, running a hand through Reno's long red hair.

A gentle laugh came from somewhere deep in Reno's throat. It gave him an earthy feel that the president loved. "Rude decided to tell me about his own flight to Icicle Inn about," He looked at his watch, "three hours ago. He should be gone already. I can't imagine that they stayed here. He said he wanted me to come with him. You know, for the usual."

"Well, the usual's not happening for many Christmases to come from now on." He leaned in close and brushed their noses lightly together. "From now on… I hope to be with you for every Christmas." Their lips touched but just barely. It was a chaste show of affection that left both of their hearts fluttering.

"Damn, Rufus, I'm not even an emotional person," he said, "but you bring out this great person in me." His face was once again buried in Rufus's neck. "I'm sorry I don't have a good Christmas present for you. I really wish I did."

Rufus rubbed his back soothingly. "That doesn't matter," he whispered in his ear. "A little is enough."

Author's notes: phshmph Yay! I finished it _before_ Christmas for once! I managed to work in the lyrics there at the end too which made me happy. 3 So, I hope you guys enjoyed this installment of the ongoing Reno and Rufus collection. Review! You know that's what keeps me going!


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